1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to routing queries within a telephone network and, more particularly, to methods and system for routing Calling Name Service queries to multiple service providers within a locally competitive environment.
2. Background
Calling Name Service is one of several popular telephone services offered by Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers (xe2x80x9cILECsxe2x80x9d) within a region. Calling Name allows a subscribing called party to obtain information about a calling party prior to initiation of the conversation. Information that can be obtained include the calling party""s name, phone number, and address. The ILEC usually transfers the information to a display attached to the called party""s telephone. The called party may thus identify the calling party prior to answering the call. Calling Name may be used for a variety of purposes, such as avoiding telemarketers and other unwelcome solicitors. Called parties may also use Calling Name to avoid more serious forms of harassment and stalking.
Calling Name is currently offered within certain regions by the ILEC for that region. Under the current paradigm, a Calling Name transaction begins in the called party""s End Office (xe2x80x9cEOxe2x80x9d), a programmable switch that receives calls for the subscribing called party. Upon receiving a call for a Calling Name subscriber, the EO launches a Calling Name query to obtain the calling party""s information. The EO formats the query using a TR1188 protocol and containing the ten-digit calling party telephone number. The query is sent to a signal transfer point (xe2x80x9cSTPxe2x80x9d) to determine the proper Calling Name (xe2x80x9cCNAMxe2x80x9d) database storing the necessary information. The STP uses a lookup table to route the query to the proper CNAM database based upon the calling party number. The query may be routed to either an in-region database or to an out-of-region database. The CNAM database accesses the information and returns a response directly to the requesting switch (the EO).
The current method for routing Calling Name queries is suitable for an environment lacking xe2x80x9cunbundledxe2x80x9d local competition. The advent of local competition, however, complicates the telecommunications scenario. Pursuant to the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the FCC has mandated certain xe2x80x9cinterconnectionxe2x80x9d requirements to make it easier for new companies to enter a local telecommunications market. The goal of the Act is to offer a wider selection of local service providers to consumers. The two FCC mandates that, perhaps, significantly impact the Calling Name Service are: (1) FCC First Report and Order in the matter of Telephone Number Portability, docket 95-116, released Jul. 2, 1996 (Local Number Portability); and (2) FCC Report and Order in the matter of Local Competition, docket 96-98 released Aug. 8, 1996 (xe2x80x9cUnbundlingxe2x80x9d).
Local number portability (xe2x80x9cLNPxe2x80x9d) allows subscribers to keep their phone numbers when they change residences and/or service providers. A mandate of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, this option must be available to subscribers in the top 100 markets by the end of 1998. The advantages of retaining one""s phone number were recognized in exchange tariffs as early as the 1960s. The issue also cropped up in the 1980s and early 1990s, when portability for 800 numbers was instituted to encourage competition in the toll-free long-distance sector. More recently, a survey conducted by the Gallup poll found that nearly 80 percent of residential subscribers and 90 percent of business subscribers would be unwilling to change service providers if they had to surrender current phone numbers.
xe2x80x9cUnbundlingxe2x80x9d is a regulatory requirement providing competitive local exchange carriers (xe2x80x9cCLECsxe2x80x9d) or other information providers the ability to separately lease discrete functional components of an ILEC""s network to provide service. An unbundled local loop, for example, is an ILEC-provided transmission path between, and including, the customer network interface (e.g., the jack) located at the end-customer""s premises and the central office loop termination located in the ILEC""s central office building. As another example, an unbundled port provides a CLEC with local switching functionality, in addition to the local loop, on an ILEC""s switch as an alternative to providing a standalone switch. Numerous components may be unbundled, including the local loop, switch ports, and Advanced Intelligent Network (xe2x80x9cAINxe2x80x9d) triggers.
Further, the CLECs may desire to offer competitive vertical services (e.g., Calling Name, Call Forwarding, Follow Me Services) as an alternative to those services provided by the ILEC. In particular, offering Calling Name service in an unbundled environment, however, poses additional problems. In the current Calling Name scenario, which accounts for a local number portability environment, when a called party has subscribed to Calling Name service, her end office will send a query to a signal transfer point (xe2x80x9cSTPxe2x80x9d). The STP will determine the location of the Calling Name database based upon the NPA-NXX of the calling party number. The STP will then route the Calling Name query to the appropriate Calling Name database. The Calling Name database typically includes the name information and city/state information for a group of telephone numbers. Additionally, the SS7 Network can check to see if the calling party number belongs to a portable NPA-NXX and, if ported, can route the query to the appropriate Calling Name database.
However, in the current method, there is no identification information available that indicates the choice of Calling Name Service provider. For example, assume that a CLEC leasing unbundled ports wants Calling Name queries to be routed to its own or a representative Calling Name database. Today""s Calling Name query only includes information about the calling party, not the called party. Accordingly, the SS7 Network can only route the query based on the calling party""s telephone number. Thus, the CLEC cannot provide Calling Name service to its leased unbundled ports from service providers other than the ILEC.
The present invention overcomes the problems and disadvantages of the prior art by creating a Calling Name query that includes not only the calling party telephone information, but additional identifying information about characteristics of the called party. By including this additional called party information within the query, the local exchange carrier may then determine the appropriate Calling Name service provider for the called party. In addition, the present invention includes a cooperative mechanism for working with multiple databases (e.g., Calling Name, LNP) in a manner that seeks to minimize the number of additional processing steps in providing the Calling Name service.
The present invention further includes a mechanism for dealing with ported calling party telephone numbers. In particular, the present invention uses a service control point to access a local number portability database. The database includes a list of ported numbers. The service control point compares the calling party number contained in the query to the numbers stored in the database. If the calling party number is stored in the database, the service control point routes the query to the calling party""s service provider. If the number is not ported, the service control point forwards the Calling Name query to an appropriate Calling Name database.
In a preferred embodiment of the present invention, a ported or unported calling party makes a telephone call to a called party on an unbundled port. The calling party""s end office switches the call to the called party""s end office. The called party""s end office creates a Calling Name query containing information about the calling party""s telephone number and information about characteristics of the called party. The called party""s end office sends the query to a signal transfer point within the end office""s service area. The signal transfer point routes the query to the service control point based upon an address received in the query.
The service control point includes: (1) a CNAM Service Provider Identification (xe2x80x9cCSPIxe2x80x9d) database; (2) a local number portability (xe2x80x9cLNPxe2x80x9d) database; (2) an out-of-region (OORxe2x80x9d) data table; and information about the distribution of other LNP databases. Each service control point has a corresponding area of service, linking a group of NPA-NXXs to a particular service control point. The service control point is coupled to one or more Calling Name databases, each database having its own area of service. In the present invention, each service control point area of service includes one or more Calling Name areas of service, such that calling name queries may be routed directly to a Calling Name database. Thus, the need for the STP to determine the destination of a Calling Name query is eliminated. STPs may still be relied upon for routing the query to a destination.
The service control point determines the appropriate Calling Name service provider for the called party based upon information stored in the CSPI database. If the called party is not a subscriber to the ILEC""s Calling Name service, the query is routed to the proper Calling Name service provider. If the ILEC is the Calling Name service provider, the service control point determines whether the calling party is within the ILEC""s overall service region based upon the OOR data table. If the calling party is not within the region, the query is sent to a Calling Name database out of the region. If the calling party is within the region, the service control point determines whether the calling party is within its particular area of service. If the calling party is not within its area of service, the service control point then routes the query to another service control point in a separate area of service.
If the calling party telephone number is within its area of service, the service control point determines whether the calling party telephone number is ported. Queries having ported calling party numbers are routed to the appropriate service provider for obtaining the calling party name information. For queries having non-ported calling party numbers, the service control point routes the query directly to a local Calling Name database within its area of service for obtaining the Calling Name information respecting the calling party. The Calling Name information is routed back to the called party""s end office.
As discussed above, the present invention couples a service control point area of service with a Calling Name database area of service. An area of service includes a range of telephone numbers. Each local number portability service control point area of service may include one or more Calling Name database areas of service. But each Calling Name database area of service may be coupled to only one service control point area of service. This coupling of areas of service reduces the number of hops back and forth between Calling Name databases to obtain information. Moreover, this coupling ensures that undercoverage and/or overcoverage of Calling Name information will not occur.
Objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will be obvious from the description or may be learned by practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention will be realized and attained by means of the elements and combinations particularly pointed out in the appended claims.